A B737-400 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOSE GEAR LOCK PIN INSTALLED FOR MAINT AND NOT REMOVED. ACFT RETURNED TO THE FIELD.

Narrative

WHILE WORKING OVERTIME; I WAS ASSIGNED TO ACFT X. DURING OUR TROUBLESHOOTING WE HAD TO JACK THE NOSE GEAR; SO WE PINNED ALL THE LNDG GEAR. AT THE END OF THIS SHIFT OUR REGULAR SHIFT STARTED AND WE REMAINED ON THE JOB. WE LOWERED THE NOSE FROM THE JACK (THAT PORTION OF TROUBLESHOOTING WAS COMPLETE) AND IMMEDIATELY HAD TO TOW THE ACFT FROM ONE HANGAR (LINE) TO ANOTHER (BASE). AFTER ALL OF OUR TESTS AND TROUBLESHOOTING WERE COMPLETE; WE WENT BACK TO THE LINE HANGAR FOR WORD FROM ENGINEERING. AFTER RECEIVING WORD FROM ENGINEERING; WE SIGNED THE LOGBOOK AND LEFT IT IN THE 'READY RACK.' PER BOEING MAINT MANUAL SUB TASK MAKE SURE THAT ALL LNDG GEAR GND LOCK PINS ARE INSTALLED. NEXT SHIFT MECHS CAME AND GOT THE ACFT FOR SVC. DURING THE PUSHBACK OUT OF THE HANGAR; THEY SAW A LOCK PIN ON THE GND BY THE NOSE LNDG GEAR. THEY LOOKED AT THE MAINS AND SAW THEY WERE PINNED. THEY REMOVED THE MAIN GEAR PINS AND ASSUMED THE OTHER WAS THE NOSE. THE PLANE TOOK OFF AND RETURNED TO FIELD BECAUSE THE NOSE GEAR WOULDN'T RETRACT (STILL PINNED). THE LAST STATEMENT IN THE MAINT MANUAL WAS TO RESTORE ACFT TO NORMAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE JOB CARD FOR THE RUDDER WORK REQUIRED GEAR PINS TO BE INSTALLED AND THE NOSE GEAR JACKED. THE RPTR SAID THERE WAS NO LOGBOOK ENTRY OR NON ROUTINE CARD WRITTEN UP BY THE RPTR OR THE ASSISTING TECHNICIAN TO REMOVE THE GEAR PINS AFTER ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE WORK. THE RPTR STATED THE COMPANY DID NOT REQUIRE A LOG ENTRY OR A NON ROUTINE WRITE-UP AND THE JOB CARD WHICH INSTALLED THE PINS AT THE LAST STEP ONLY STATED 'RESTORE THE AIRPLANE TO NORMAL.' THE RPTR SAID THE JOB CARD WAS SIGNED OFF BY THE RPTR AND TOWED TO ANOTHER HANGAR AND PARKED WITH THE LOGBOOK CLRED. THE RPTR STATED THE NEXT CREW DURING PUSH OUT FROM THE HANGAR OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A NOSE GEAR PIN ON THE FLOOR NEAR THE NOSE GEAR AND CHKED THE MAIN GEAR FOR LOCK PINS AND REMOVED THE MAIN GEAR PINS FOUND INSTALLED. THE RPTR SAID THE PIN FOUND NEAR THE NOSE GEAR WAS ASSUMED TO BE THE NOSE GEAR PIN BUT IT WAS A FLT CTL FLAGGED RIG PIN WITH A MUCH NARROWER DIAMETER. THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS DELIVERED TO THE GATE WHERE THE FO MADE A WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND NOTED THE RED FLAG IN THE NOSE COMPARTMENT. THE RPTR SAID THE FO ASSUMED THE RED FLAG WAS THE NOSE GEAR STEERING BYPASS VALVE LOCKOUT PIN. THE FO HAD ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR 3 GEAR PINS LOCATED BEHIND THE FO'S SEAT. THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS DISPATCHED AND RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO THE INABILITY TO RETRACT THE NOSE GEAR. THE RPTR SAID DURING A HEARING HELD ON THIS INCIDENT IT WAS SUGGESTED BY THE RPTR TO REQUIRE A LOGBOOK ENTRY TO BE MADE WHEN GEAR PINS ARE INSTALLED TO REMOVE THE GEAR PINS PRIOR TO FLT.